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UnLtd names Steve Taitoko as its first CEO

New boss: Taitoko

New boss: Taitoko

Industry charity UnLtd has looked outside of the media fold to hire its first CEO with Steve Taitoko taking on the new role, Mumbrella can reveal.

Taitoko, who comes from a diverse business background, is charged with growing the charity’s revenues to more than $10m in the next two years, as it looks to help a range of charities tackling youth disadvantage in Australia. He is set to front his first UnLtd event on Tuesday at the Social Impact @ Work event in Sydney.

UnLtd Chairman Kerry McCabe said: “This role attracted a lot of interest from a large and impressive group of leaders from both within and outside of our industry. Steve was the standout in terms of skills, capabilities and culture fit.

“He’s a creative and inspiring leader, with an entrepreneurial spirit and an authentic desire to make a difference. He will bring fresh eyes to the industry and has a strong commercial background, which has seen him hold the position of CFO for a publicly listed company and launch a number of successful hi-growth businesses around the world.”

So far this financial year UnLtd has seen $3.1m of cash value (cash and resources) donated to it from the industry, having had $3.8m donated last year.

In a varied career Taitoko was most recently CEO of global tourism photography company, Magic Memories. Prior to that he led 24sevenpeople, a consultancy specialising in HRM and elite professional sport and player management.

He said: “My passion is helping organisations to grow rapidly and sustainably, whilst ensuring they have fun along the way and stay true to their purpose. The UnLtd purpose is one I connected with instantly – to be able to bring my commercial experience and contribute to UnLtd building from what is a very strong base is a very exciting proposition.

“That we have 680,000 young people classified as disadvantaged in Australia is unacceptable. The media, marketing and advertising industry, and the talent within this sector, represents unlimited potential to tackle the issues that a large number of our young people face head on, in a smart and meaningful way. I like that UnLtd takes a venture capitalist style approach to philanthropy, seeking out social entrepreneurs and supporting them in making a very direct and measurable social impact at scale.”

Alex Hayes

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